Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia. Dementia affects memory, judgment, and thinking. This could involve not recognizing your surroundings or familiar individuals or being unable to find the correct words or complete tasks. Alzheimer’s Disease can affect children under six. However, age is a significant risk factor.
Both patients and family members find Alzheimer’s disease stressful. The condition has no cure; therefore, patients will require additional care and support.
Hospice vs. Palliative Care
“What Is the Difference Between Palliative and Hospice Care?”
Palliative care focuses on pain alleviation and supports patients with serious illnesses, aiming to enhance their quality of life. It may involve the use of medications to manage symptoms [1]. Hospice care, on the other hand, provides comfort and support to patients nearing the end of life, emphasizing quality of life and avoiding life-extending treatments or drugs [2].
Palliative Care
- Focuses on pain alleviation.
- The patient may or may not be terminally ill and maybe being treated for a disease or living with a chronic disease.
- Addresses the patient’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being, is suited for all disease stages, and follows the patient from diagnosis to cure.
- Uses life-extending medicines. uses highly qualified personnel in a multi-disciplinary approach.
- Usually provided at the location where the patient initially requested care.
Hospice Care
- When treatment is discontinued, it makes the patient comfortable and prepares the patient and family for death.
- Avoids life-extending drugs.
- Uses a hospice nurse and family caregiver.
- Provided in the patient’s home, nursing home, or hospital
Palliative Care For Alzheimer’s Disease
Palliative care is specialist medical care for serious conditions like Alzheimer’s. Improve your and your family’s quality of life. Palliative care is available at every age and stage. It can be combined with curative treatment.
A specially trained team of palliative care doctors, nurses, social workers, and other professionals works with your regular doctors to give you extra assistance.
Palliative care teams have many benefits. Palliative care treats Alzheimer’s symptoms, including despair, anxiety, and insomnia. The unit can also teach you and your family how to prevent behavior triggers.
Maintaining a schedule helps you plan your daily care. Physical activity and memory therapy also boost brain power. Good sleep habits— a calm setting and sufficient lighting to reduce shadows can assist.
Palliative care can reduce discomfort and stress from other medical disorders such as heart disease, lung disease, or uncomfortable conditions.
After an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, palliative care can begin anytime, but starting early allows a team to accompany you. The team manages symptoms and discusses goals, concerns, and treatment alternatives. They assist you in discussing your priorities, how and where you want to be cared for, and what degree of care you desire in the future.
Palliative care can help your family care for you at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home as the illness worsens. It is crucial to ensure your safety. The team can help your family cope with these concerns and make decisions about feeding, infection, hospitalization, and where you should be cared for.
Palliative care is available in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and homes. Palliative care eases Alzheimer’s Disease and improves the quality of life.
Hospice Care For Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease and other advanced dementia patients must meet the hospice’s six-month life expectancy requirement to receive care. Since Alzheimer’s disease progresses at various rates for each patient, families should discuss hospice care with a doctor when the patient enters the final stages.
Family members of Alzheimer’s patients can also get respite care. This care is meant to offer family carers a break. Check with your provider to discover if Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance covers hospice, comforting, and respite care.
The hospice staff can provide families with suggestions for establishing routines to help an Alzheimer’s patient feel more at ease. After the loss of a loved one receiving hospice care, bereavement counseling is also available to help family members cope with their grief.
When It Is Time for Hospice
Can one get hospice? Hospice eligibility requirements:
- Your doctor states that they are terminally ill and within six months of death.
- Rather than curative treatment, palliative care is your best option for your loved one.
- You sign a statement indicating your choice of hospice care for your terminally ill loved one.
Being Admitted to Hospice
Another diagnosis can indeed qualify someone for hospice. Hospice provides extra support to patients. Benefits extend to the patient’s family and caregivers. The hospice team comprises Doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, caretakers, and volunteers. Caregiver support is available during and after hospice care. Grief counseling is accessible individually and in groups.
Palliative Care for Comfort and Quality of Life
Hospice provides end-of-life care. In recent decades, palliative care has been used more to treat pain and other symptoms. It works at any stage of illness. It’s calming.
The National Institutes of Health and Nursing Research describes palliative care as “managing the pain, symptoms, and stress of serious illness.” It relieves pain, shortness of breath, tiredness, constipation, nausea, lack of appetite, and sleep difficulties.
Palliative care relieves symptoms throughout an illness. Palliative care relieves Alzheimer’s symptoms at any stage.
You Are Not Alone
Alzheimer’s patients’ families often find this problematic. We know how you feel. Melodia Hospice Care understands Alzheimer’s and provides compassionate care.
We provide pain management, counseling, and grief support for Alzheimer’s patients. Our supportive staff helps Alzheimer’s and dementia families.
You don’t have to suffer alone. Contact us immediately for help with your loved one’s diagnosis.
